Your mother was right: It costs you nothing to say please and thank
you.
It never seizes to amaze me how rude people can be, even to
customers, clients and suppliers.
You might be under immense pressure struggling to stay afloat and
keep the banks off your back or be under immense emotional strain
at home, but, do you know what, it really doesn't matter.
Snapping never improves the situation and only ever reflects
badly on you.
Even if you feel you've been unfairly treated - say you've lost a
contract - it always pays to keep your cool, smile through gritted
teeth and be amiable. Let the other person regret their behaviour
and remember you for being understanding: not vice-versa. Besides,
everyone is a future customer, right?
We've heard it a million times: people buy people first. People
form opinions based on the personal exchanges they have, not the
products or multi-million branding and marketing schemes. We all do
it. How many people have sworn they'll never buy from a certain
company again after a frustrating call centre exchange or bad
customer service experience in a shop?
Why, oh why, then do so many businesses forget than manners really
count? Even big businesses with their employee handbooks are
missing the point - you don't need a handbook, you just need to
ensure people are friendly, polite and helpful.
Give me that and I'm far more likely to buy, come back, tell people
about you and want to work with you in the future. Be nice, it
works.
I like the print above. It's by Anthony
Burrill. He gets it.
Your mother did too. She was right: It costs you nothing to say
please and thank you.
It never ceases to amaze me how rude people can be, even to
customers, clients and suppliers.
You might be under immense pressure struggling to stay afloat
and keep the banks off your back or be under immense emotional
strain at home, but, seriously, it really doesn't matter.
Snapping never improves the situation and only ever reflects
badly on you.
Even if you feel you've been unfairly treated - say you've lost
a contract - it always pays to keep your cool, smile through
gritted teeth and be amiable. Let the other person regret their
behaviour and remember you for being understanding: not
vice-versa.
Besides, everyone is a future customer, right?
We've heard it a million times: people buy people first. People
form opinions based on the personal exchanges they have, not the
products or multi-million branding and marketing schemes.
We all do it. We've all sworn we'll never buy from a certain
company again after a frustrating call centre exchange or bad
customer service experience in a shop?
And now instead of bitching to our friends in the pub, we dish
the dirt to thousands using social media.
Why, oh why, then do so many businesses forget that manners and
personal interaction really count? More than ever?
Even big businesses with their employee handbooks are missing
the point - you don't need a handbook, you just need to ensure
people are friendly, polite and helpful.
Give me that and I'm far more likely to buy, come back, tell
people about you and want to work with you in the future.
Be nice, it works. Honestly. It's that easy.